1
as in terrifying
causing fear
a formidable, irascible old man who frightened the neighborhood children
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in difficult
requiring considerable physical or mental effort
running a marathon is a formidable undertaking
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of formidable
The incumbent Democratic congressman and a challenger from the same party established themselves as the most formidable candidates for the 4th District House seat heading into the June 2 primary election.
—
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
This season, Kopitar had 10 penalty minutes and tied for 23rd in fewest penalties taken per 60 minutes, despite using his formidable size, strength and defensive acumen centrally in his game.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
An especially visually striking debut, Mosquitoes exists in a saturated hyperreality that is consummately engrossing, and announces the Bertani sisters as formidable portraitists of girlhood cast against the backdrop of an alternately beautiful and oppressive world.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
With formidable bass, clear midranges, and bright treble, the earbuds really pack a punch.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 30 Apr. 2026
This season, Kopitar had 10 penalty minutes and tied for 23rd in fewest penalties taken per 60 minutes, despite using his formidable size, strength and defensive acumen centrally in his game.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
An especially visually striking debut, Mosquitoes exists in a saturated hyperreality that is consummately engrossing, and announces the Bertani sisters as formidable portraitists of girlhood cast against the backdrop of an alternately beautiful and oppressive world.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2026
With formidable bass, clear midranges, and bright treble, the earbuds really pack a punch.
—George Yang, PC Magazine, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for formidable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formidable
Adjective
-
While Krug was alive, authorities filed search warrants with communications companies that sought information about the increasingly terrifying messages the stalker was sending her, police records show.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
-
When the show picks up, Lorcan is experiencing a strange series of nightmares centered around a terrifying rabbit-faced man, a creature pulled from Celtic mythology known as a Pooka.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Combining all of this in one material has been difficult because thermal control and signal control rely on very different properties.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
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Despite the removal of material, the architecture can result in a busy design and potentially make reading the time difficult.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
3 May 2026
Adjective
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Late on against Newcastle, Rutter beat two players on the left with a frightening burst of pace and set up Minteh, only for the 21-year-old to blast over an empty net.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
4 May 2026
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Dash camera video showed the frightening moment when a wheel from a United Airlines plane slammed into a bakery delivery truck that was traveling on the New Jersey Turnpike.—
Clara McMichael,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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But as challenging as these cases can be, the I-Team found the fight for workers' comp when a firefighter is battling cancer can be even more complicated.—
Ginger Allen,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
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Corporations benefit from the best talent without having to hire them, which is challenging and expensive.—
Anis Uzzaman,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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Just because there’s something scary down the hall, that doesn’t mean that being a good person doesn’t matter.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
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Makar took a scary hit along the boards from Foligno early in the first period.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Chase Meidroth made a shuffle toss to second base for a force out, but the Sox couldn’t complete what would have been a tough double play.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Our legislators must make some tough decisions; avoiding the issues is not acceptable.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Now, nearly two years later, the school finds itself in a terrible spot, as accusations of serious misconduct arise and an investigation by the athletic department heats up.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 May 2026
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And, betting on terrible outcomes doesn't signify what the better actually wants to happen.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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Every personal finance review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of personal finance products.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
The process began with a rigorous study and a series of strategic partnerships.—
FMG Studios,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Formidable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formidable. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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